Kindness. If kindness were a fruit, I think it would be a cantaloupe… that you bought at Walmart… in the middle of winter… that’s gone mushy.  Tasteless, mild, uninspiring.  Of all of the complements that someone could give me, “You are so kind.”, probably ranks near the bottom.  How about, “you are so brave” or “you are so powerful” or “you are devastatingly good looking.”?  But, kind?

I don’t know.  Kindness as a virtue seems so… wimpy, so bland, so unassertive.

For sure, our world doesn’t value kindness.  I mean, Simon Cowell has a net worth of $550 million by being brutally unkind on shows like American Idol, The X-Factor and America’s Got Talent.  And somehow, I doubt he would have gained his star on Hollywood Boulevard had he replaced his insults and wisecracks with words of kindness. “Ok, well thank you for that song, but you just aren’t exactly what we are looking for.  But please know, we appreciate your efforts….” Cynicism and snark are much more entertaining.

But what does God value?  How does the kingdom of heaven operate?

Well, Psalm 145 reminds us that “the Lord is gracious and merciful; slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.”  Nehemiah 9:17 confirms, “You are a God of forgiveness, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.” And Jesus told us that the “Most High… is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (Luke 6:35). It sounds to me like kindness is unequivocally woven into God’s character. Aren’t you glad? Unlike the gods of the nations surrounding Israel, the pantheon of Greek and Roman gods, or the spirit of this age, our God is kind. And he wants to produce the same in his followers. That’s an amazing thought.

So, what does kindness actually look like practically on the real soil of planet earth?  Just look to Jesus. For Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s kind heart. “So that in the ages to come He [God] might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:7). And, “When the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us (Titus 3:4).”  Jesus is the kindness and love of God.

But when I look at Jesus, he challenges my perception of what kindness is.  We equate kindness with being nice or pleasant or not ruffling anyone’s feathers.  A kind person smiles a lot, gets along with others and never rocks the boat.

Not Jesus. He managed to call the Pharisees blind fools and a brood of vipers, told his opponents they belonged to the Devil and threw over the tables in the temple, all the while fully reflecting the goodness and kindness of his Father. No door-mat theology there.

So, if kindness isn’t the flabby, namby-pamby, weak-kneed, walk-all-over-me virtue we’ve come to believe, what exactly is it?

I like the definition I saw on the Desiring God website. Kindness is a supernaturally generous orientation of our hearts toward other people, even when they don’t deserve it and don’t love us in return. I like it. That kind of kindness forces us out of our flesh’s natural selfishness and makes us partners in bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth.  By being fundamentally kind towards other people, even those who don’t deserve it, we reflect God’s character and point others to Jesus. Powerful stuff.

So, I think kindness gets a bad rap.  It’s not a bland, wimpy character trait at all. It’s a powerful counter cultural tool to advance God’s kingdom and form us into Christlikeness.

Be kind.  It may not make you a millionaire, but it sure shows the heart of God.  And that’s what I want to be about.